Folding display-rack.



. J. B. TIMBERLAKE. FOLDING DISPLAY RACE.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914,

' "UNITED STATES rnrnnr orFIoE.

JOH'N .3. 'rrmnnnmxn, or ucxson, moment romaine DISPLAY-RACK.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, J QHN.B. TIMBERLAKE, a citizen of the United States, .residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State 'of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Display-' Racks, of which the following is a specification. 1

p This invention relates to racks "or stands "such as are employed for the display of articles, such as china and lassware, leather goods, and the like; andv as for its object to produce a wirerack or stand of this type, simple in construction,- of attractive appearance, that is strong and may be readily manufactured at a low cost. V

In the accompanying draWinga Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rack or stand embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a erspective view taken from another point 0' vision and illustrating the rack set up at a difi'erent adjustment. Fi 3 is a side elevation of the rack when fol ed. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating alternate features of construction to be described. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a form of brace difi'ering from that illustrated in the other views.

The rack as a whole consists of a stepped stand A, a rear leg or support B, and a brace C. Each of these parts is preferably formed from a single piece ofwire of appropriate size and bent to the desired configuration. The stand A consists'of'a front lower cross-bar 2 preferably bowed upward at its center and having its ends arranged.

to constitute the feet or sup orts 3. at the front of the rack. The two side pieces 5, 5,

of the stand extend upward and backward from the front cross-bar which unites them,

in a parallel stepped series of bends arranged to constitute the horizontal supports ,7, the risers 8, and the rests 9, preferably formed by producing U-bends in the wire where the parts 7, 8, join at the front. The

two side pleces are united at the upper rear portion of the stand by the cross-bar 6.

The ends ofthe single piece of wire which is preferably employed in making the stand A may be united in any suitable way, as by a ferrule or tube 1, into which the ends of the wire are inserted, the ferrule bein rep resented as carried by theupper crossar 6.

. In order to stiffen the stand and to serve other purposes that will be described, T preferably connect the side pieces 5, 5, by cross- 1 bars 10 and 11. The former is located at the rear of the lower horizontal support 7, and the latter at the rear of the upper horizontal support. The cross-bars preferably consist i Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 28, 1914:. Application filed February 24, 1911. Serial No. 610,458.

of pieces of wire, the ends of which are coiled about or otherWise united 'to the side I pieces 5 at the desired points.

The leg or support B is preferably hinged to the upper cross-bar l1 and consists of a pair of uprights 12, 12,. and a cross-bar 13 un1t1n them at their lower ends. The Wire of WlllCll the leg or support B is formed is preferably bent into U-shape between the upri hts 12 and the cross-bar ,13, constituting feet adapted to rest upon the surface, on which the rack may be supported and servving to raise the cross-bar 13 suflioiently above the level of said surface.

The. brace C is hinged upon the cro'ssbar 13 of the adjustable leg B. In that form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,-

it comprises a pair of bars 15, 15, converging toward the front where they are brought together and formed into a hook 16 that is adaptedto engage with either one of the lower cross-bars 2 or 10, as may be desired.

.These two cross-bars are preferably fiattened at their middle portions, as indicated at 17, 17, in order to permit the hook 16 to have firm engagement therewith. The two cross bars 2 and 10 lie close to the support upon which the rack rests being respectively one near the front or the lowermost horizontal sectionof the stand and the other near the rear thereof. This disposition of these parts insures that the brace 0 shall lie substantially horizontal under all working conditions and close to the supporting surface; with the advantages that it is not so liable to become accidentally detached as would be the case were its point of connection with the cross bars more elevated, and that the appearance of the stand is more pleasing than would be the case were the brace upwardly inclined and having one inclination at one time and a different one atanother when the inclination of the rack is changed. The two ends of thebrace C, which, as stated, encircle the cross-bar 13, are held apart, preferably close to the bends 14, which constitute the rests or feet of he adjustable leg B, in any suitable manner. A convenient means for securing this result is to flatten and expand the cross-bar 13 just inside of the portions thereof which the 18. However, other means may be employed for this purpose, as for instance, .aspacing 'rod 19, secured to and extending between the bars 15see'Fig; 4. Or a ring or collar 20, or a coil of wire 21, may be placed upon and secured to the cross-bar 14:,as indicated in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a form of hooked "brace, adapted to be hinged to the cross-bar 13 of the adjustable leg, in which the two bars, 15 15' are parallel and are 7 connected at their front ends by a cross bar 22. There are hoo'ks 1b., 16 at the forward -ends of the bars 15 adapted to engage with 15 either of the lower cross bars 2 or 10, accordingly as the parts of the stand may be adjusted.

The use of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the drawings. The articles to be supported'are placed in a rising and backward extending series upon the horizontal supports o f'the stand, the rests 9 at theforward port-ions of the supports serving to prevent them from sliding off, even though they are held considerably inclined.

The inclination of the stand can be changed by adjusting the leg or support B..

It is found that some articles, especially those of shallow nature, like plates, are

best displayed when the parts are adjusted as indicated in Fig. 1, the leg or support B' being nearly vertical and the supports 7 substantially horizontal. This is secured by causing the hook 16 of the brace C to engage with the front cross-bar In displaying other articles, as for instance bowls or dishes that are relatively deep, it is found more desirable to adjust the rack to the position indicated in Fig. 2, that is, with the I legB inclining backward, which causes the supports 7 to lncline downward toward the rear. This adjustment is secured-by causing the hook to engage with the rear lower crossbar 10. Ordinarily, two adjustments such I as described are sufiicient for all purposes of display.

, Fig. 3 illustrates the ,method of folding the parts of the rack when not in use, or for shipment.

What I claim is:

1. In a display rack,jthe combination of Yzont-al support of the stand, an adjustable leg support hinged to the upper rear portion of the stand, a hooked brace pivotally connected with the leg support at its lower portion and provided at its forward end with a hook device adaptedto engage with one or the other of the said cross-bars, substantially as set forth.

2. In a display rack, the combination of a stand formed of wire bent to constitute supports arranged in an upward and rear ward extending 'stepped series, the side bars of the stand being connected at the. lowermost support thereof by a plurality of cross bars, a leg support hinged to the upper rear portion of the stand, a hooked brace formed of a pair of bars hinged to the leg support near its lower end and converging toward the frontwhere they areunited by a hook arranged to engage with one or another of the'said cross-bars of the stand, and means for holding apart the ends of'the bars of the brace which are pivotally connected with the leg support, substantially as set forth. JOHN B. TIMBERLAKE.

. Witnesses:

" FLORENCE M. JAoKsoN,

WILB'ITR B. TIMBERLAKE. 

